The Rio Grande Zoo is one of three components of the Albuquerque Biological Park. The zoo was founded in 1927 with a small menagerie of animals and now exhibits over 900 animals representing more than 200 species. During the early-to-mid 1920s, Aldo Leopold, known as the "father of conservation," helped Albuquerque civic leaders acquire and set aside the land for Rio Grande State Park, on which the zoo was constructed and still stands.

Remodeled and new exhibits at the zoo enhance animal husbandry by providing naturalistic habitats with trees, grasses, water features and rockwork. State-of-the-art exhibits include seals and sea lions, elephants, polar bears, koalas, allligators, Mexican wolves, mountain lions, jaguars, zebras and rhinoceros. The Frances V.R. Seebe Tropical America exhibit features an array of plants and animals from the American tropics.

Now under construction (1/10/04), the first phase of the new Africa! exhibit area will showcase African gazelles, red river hogs, zebras, chimpanzees, mangabeys and many more exotic animals. A 36" narrow gauge railway will carry visitors in a loop through the exhibit. Visit our website at www.cabq.gov/biopark to learn more about year-round programs, including Zoo Music Summer Concerts most Friday evenings June through mid-August. For information on becoming a zoo member, contact the New Mexico Zoological Society at 505-764-6280.